"Must be really badass": Carson Hocevar points finger at Zane Smith for escalating restart contact at Iowa 

After Carson Hocevar wrecked Zane Smith during Sunday’s Cup race at Iowa Speedway, Smith chose to retaliate. The Front Row Motorsports driver swerved to the right, trying to hook Hocevar as payback.

Well, Smith missed. Hocevar went ahead and bagged his sixth top-10 of the season, while Smith had to settle for a disappointing P36 finish. Smith didn’t say anything about the incident, but Hocevar had a few words for his newfound rival.

During his post-race interview with Frontstretch’s Stephen Stumpf, Hocevar explained his move, saying (00:34),

“I just got loose and was wrecking myself, and then he was right there. I got cleaned out ...It was just a product of just trying on restarts and then hitting the stops and getting loose. I was going to spin myself.”

“He took a swing at me that nobody saw. Turned dead right and tried to wreck me at one point. So...must be really badass, go ahead,” Hocevar added recalling Smith’s actions.

Carson Hocevar sits higher (22nd, 443 points) in the driver standings than Smith, who is currently placed 27th with 395 points to his name. However, none of them are in the playoffs yet. To do that, winning is a must, as only three races remain until the playoffs begin.

Next up for the drivers is the Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International. Scheduled for next Sunday, August 10, the 90-lap event will be televised on USA from 2 pm ET onwards. Fans can tune in to MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR RADIO for their live radio coverage.

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Back when Carson Hocevar got fined by NASCAR for calling Mexico City a “sh**hole”

Carson Hocevar was fined $50,000 for his comments on Mexico City earlier this year. While being in the city for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Hocevar entered a Twitch stream where he called Mexico City a “sh**hole”.

Hocevar apologized for his comments through a post on X, where he wrote,

“I was skeptical about the trip so far and believed everything I read or heard about Mexico City from people who more than likely also had never been here. Now that I’ve actually left my hotel a couple times and raced here in front of some of the most passionate fans I’ve ever seen, my opinion has changed. I am embarrassed by my comments.”

"Count this as another lesson for me in a season I’ve learned so much. Don’t believe everything you hear without seeing it yourself. If anyone should give anyone or any place the benefit of the doubt it’s me. I’m sorry Mexico City," he added.

Despite his apologies, Carson Hocevar was required to undergo cultural-sensitivity and bias-awareness training, besides paying the fine. The money was distributed equally between three Mexico-based non-profit organizations: Mexican Red Cross, the United Way Mexico, and Un Kilo de Ayuda.